Rewind
by airinsummer
Summary: It's been a year after the monsters have finally been freed from their prison. Though some have successfully integrated back into society, others face more difficulties settling down as Sans would know. He returns back to the underground in search of a breather from reality, and realizes that there's something not quite the same since they've left. That perhaps it isn't over yet.
1. AN

**Disclaimer and Copyright**

Everything beyond this point is copyrighted. Plagiarism is punishable by law. Copyright © 2015 airinsummer.

Characters and ideas of the game, 'Undertale' belong to Toby Fox, however a few other characters are of my own creation.

* * *

 **Just a Note**

I've become complete, utter trash for Undertale and decided to write this fic on impulse. I'm trying to keep it as original and as organized as I can but tbh I don't know what I'm doing because this was REALLY on impulse I'm kinda un-confident about my plot but like my love for Sans gives me **DETERMINATION**. AHAHA /bricked/

Hoping to keep this fic within 20 – 30 chapters? We'll see.

Okay so like, this is _supposedly_ a Sans romance fic, but although I say that, I'm actually not too sure how to go about it because like HE IS A SKELETON (but many people have written romance fics with him so I can probably do it too) but uhh I'll just try my best okay ;w;

 _ **Thank you so much for giving this story a chance!**_


	2. prologue

In the dim moonlight that oozed in through a narrow gap from above lay the alleyway, the battlefield this time. The street was littered through with all sorts of trash and rotting leftovers as far as the eye could see before it's enveloped in darkness towards what felt like a dead end. A piece of plaster crumbled from above, hitting the black floor with a distinctive clatter. It was unpleasant and the stench of the numerous rubbish bins that lined the walls threatened to make her throw up, but she couldn't even find the strength to do so anymore.

A loud clash sounded, drawing her attention sharply to the battle at hand. The child had made his move, aggressively slashing out with the cold blade in his hand whilst the skeleton blocked nimbly with a bone. She knew the latter was at a loss, they all were when it came to this part in the end.

 _And it always ended in the same way._

There was a sickening thunk of knife against bone when the child finally prevailed against his enemies, and the skeleton fell to the ground face down. Her breath was shallow, coming in painful gasps and the only thing she could hear was heart fluttering against her chest like a cornered butterfly. She tried to reach out to his unmoving body, but her fingers were already disintegrating into ashes. Black eventually filled in the edges of her vision and blinded her completely.

When she next opened her eyes, she was in a room filled with a strange gentle light and golden flowers.

Realization of what had happened hit her within seconds, and her body shook violently in the memory of what she had seen again. If she could have, she would have screamed and cried instead.

 _They had failed again._


	3. one

It's been almost a year since the monsters have left their underground prison for the surface above. Things were hard initially, for both them and the humans. It was a huge shocker to the surface dwellers that the monsters had somehow freed themselves from their supposedly eternal prison. Even with Frisk by their side, vouching for them, it was still a long way from a peaceful coexistence. For now, jobs were hard to find and there was still a clear prejudice against them.

Sans held in a sigh as he pulled his hoodie lower, seeing a mother hush and pull her child away to the other side of his direction from across the street. It was a common act that he had grown used to, so much so that whenever he went out he would just automatically pull the hoodie over his head to avoid startling strangers and scaring kids. He couldn't blame them though honestly, he _was_ literally living, walking human remains.

Mettaton was one example of a successful integration into the human society. Not only did he have a similar appearance to that of a human, besides his weird skin coloration and some bolts and nuts on his face, that guy had a load of charisma even up on the surface. He quickly made himself a name in the show business, alongside Napstablook and Shyren. They were currently touring across the country if Sans remembered correctly.

Undyne and Alphys moved in together. The two lovebirds had finally admitted their feelings for each other, and started living together like a real couple. Unfortunately they had difficulties integrating back into society as well. Undyne's fierce tendencies had landed her out of one too many jobs, and although Alphys had managed to secure a stable job, she often got pushed around within the company due to her introverted nature. She considered quitting many times, but it was hard when income was already low.

Toriel and Frisk had lived together since the day that they had left the underground, and within the year she took on various odd jobs to support the both of them. Although fiercely resolved to make ends meet, she was still a softie at heart. Eventually she took back Asgore who had been diligently working on his end too, after he had proposed to her again with a ring hidden in cinnamon and butterscotch pie he had tried to make, and a bouquet of golden flowers. They now all live together.

The rest of the monsters were scattered throughout the country, the world, doing their best to make things work. After all, this was the freedom they had longed for deep down in the depths of the underground.

All this aside, perhaps things were finally beginning to look up for him. After scrimping and saving for nearly a year, Asgore and Toriel were going to open a school for young children. For both monsters and humans. They called in Undyne to be a physical education teacher, and Alphys to be a science teacher, aware of their difficulties in finding a good job. They also called him in to work there as a guard, which was fine with him since he had done sentry duty before, and for Papyrus to work there as a caretaker. His brother was more than delighted of course.

The used-to-be queen and king were even so kind as to offer them a place to stay, as where they currently lived would be quite a trip down. Sans agreed, but only if they would let him share the bills. He didn't want to freeload off their kind offer. Seeing that they couldn't change his mind the royal couple agreed, and that was that.

It would be good to see Frisk again. His mouth quirked up in a slight smile as he thought about the little human that had dropped into the underground so long ago. Toriel would give him regular updates about the kid over the phone, but he hadn't seen much of the human child since they had gone their separate ways. He almost couldn't wait to see the kid tomorrow when they moved over.

Looking up, Sans realized he had reached his destination whilst buried deep in his thoughts.

Pulling off his hood, he gazed at the top of Mount Ebott, looming over his head against the darkening sky in all of its majesty. He figured that since they were going to move away tomorrow, that he'd come back and just… Take a look around. Take a breather from this stressful surface life, and reminisce about the old times where he would spend time sleeping at his guard station without a care in the world. He wasn't expecting anything different, or for something to happen, but he felt like he _should_ , before they moved away at least.

The shimmering, blindingly white barrier that used to hold them from their freedom was no longer there. Just a wide gaping hole, a cavern leading into the underground. He treaded through carefully, wondering if perhaps everything else was exactly the way they left it almost a year ago.

He wondered if perhaps the flowers in the Throne Room had wilted by now. Asgore was a little angsty when they had to leave, as there wouldn't be anyone to care for the flowers he had so painfully grown. The entrance to the throne room soon came into sight, a plain doorway that no one would think was the entrance to another world. The realisation that he was stepping into a dead world, a world that was once theirs, made his chest ache a little. His steps had slowed, were much smaller, a little hesitant to enter the throne room.

Stopping right outside, he contemplated going back without stepping inside.

But then he stepped through anyway, it seemed a little wasted if he didn't make the trip he was here for.

The corridor was filled with a damp, musty smell as he walked through the darkness towards the light up ahead. He wondered if perhaps he could find a flower to bring back to Toriel for a gift tomorrow, if there were still any living.

Squinting against the bright light, he entered the throne room.

For a moment he thought he stepped back in time, to when they were still trapped in the underground. The room had been untouched. The lone royal throne was still in the middle of the room, as was the abandoned one tucked away at the back, covered by a grey sheet. Although he wasn't sure what to expect when he walked back into this room, he certainly didn't expect this.

If anything the room looked more alive than ever.

The ivy was flourishing, growing across the walls and even down to the ground in a healthy shade of dark green. And the patch of golden flowers that used to be in the middle, they had spread to all four corners of the room, over the legs of the throne, mixing with the ivy in at the edges of the walls, all in full blossom.

Sans was stunned speechless, even if he didn't have anyone in company to speak to at the moment.

A small movement caught the corner of his eye and his head snapped sharply to pinpoint where it came from.

Or did he?

He thought he saw wrong, but then it happened again.

Within the middle of the miraculously living flower bed, under the strange light that filled the abandoned throne room… Something moved.


End file.
